“… one genie-soul and only one ever proved too strong for me: San Francisco – up and down the hills I pursued him, missed him and was pursued, by a presence, a powdering of fall gold in the air, a trembling brightness that pierced to the heart, and the sadness of coming at last to the sea, the coming to… Read more →
Alta: Ushering in the Mid-Market Revival
ALTA, Civic Center/Mid-Market (1420 Market St. between 10th St. & Fell St., 415-590-2585) Alta, the latest from Daniel Patterson Group (including two Michelin-starred Coi, Patterson’s flagship and best restaurant, and the more casual Plum, Plum Bar, Haven), just opened at the beginning of December. After multiple visits from opening day until now, there have been a number of high points, amid… Read more →
Oakland’s New Spirits Shop Extraordinaire
ALCHEMY BOTTLE SHOP, Oakland (3256 Grand Avenue, temporary number: 415-553-0803) Oakland will soon have a spirits shop to delight spirits and cocktail lovers. Alchemy Bottle Shop, from Tova Herman, formerly in the wine industry, and Peter Mustacich, who quit his Financial District day job (where he frequently spent breaks at Cask) to open their Grand Avenue spirits shop, is going… Read more →
Eating in NEW ORLEANS, Newcomers to Classics
In one of the greatest (though far from the largest or diverse) food cities on earth, New Orleans is great first and foremost because of its truly one-of-a-kind spirit and verve. It’s sensual magic envelops me every visit, haunting me when I’m away. This translates to its cuisine – truly unique, historically formed from an array of cultures that give… Read more →
Best Cocktails in NEW ORLEANS 2013
Back for Tales of the Cocktail in my beloved city of New Orleans, my last visit yielded these standout drinks at some new and some not-so-new spots (the latest on food and dining in Nola here). KINGFISH, French Quarter Wherever bartender Chris McMillian tends, I would go. As the consummate, lifelong bartender who showed me back in a 2008 visit… Read more →
January 15, 2014
“There’s no time like now, there’s no time like this time.” – Sam Phillips song, No Time Like Now on Push Any Button Amazing how swiftly January has already kicked into gear. This constant 70’s weather in SF is providing daily joys of sun, brilliant sunsets, beach walks, and welcome clarity. Alongside fellow food writers, I recap the year in… Read more →
10 Top Seattle Bars + Interviews with Andrew Friedman at Liberty Bar & Kirby Kallas-Lewis at OOLA Spirits
My Fall-Winter 2013 feature for Distiller Magazine on Seattle, with a 9-page print spread, my photos and three articles: More of my Seattle food and drink recommends here. ______________________________________Past issues (top 10 bars, local distiller and bar manager interviews in each city): Save Save Save Read more →
TBD Glows With Open Flame Cooking: 5 Best Dishes Now
TBD, SoMa (1077 Mission Street between 6th & 7th, 415-431-1826) Yes, TBD is my top new San Francisco restaurant opening of 2013. AQ Chef Mark Liberman – here with Sous Chef Alex Phaneuf – has don it again with imaginative dishes that comfort without copying anyone. They forge flavor trails, inciting anticipation for what might arrive next. In a setting… Read more →
TRICK DOG’s New Zodiac Menu
TRICK DOG, 3010 20th Street at Florida, 415-471-2999 The Bon Vivants’ (Josh Harris, Scott Baird, Jason Henton) Trick Dog has been the hottest bar opening in San Francisco of 2013, and one of the big openings of the year anywhere in the cocktail world. Though it certainly made my “best of” list of 2013, the constant stream of crowds make it… Read more →
Foreign Cinema’s New Bar Program
FOREIGN CINEMA, Mission (2534 Mission St. between 21st & 22nd Streets, 415-648-7600) Foreign Cinema will always hold a special place in my heart. Not only was it one of the hottest restaurants in town back in 2001 when I moved to San Francisco (as a lifelong film buff, I also love the theme and movies playing on the wall), but… Read more →